Travelers passing through Frisco, Texas will notice some new real estate has sprung up along the Dallas North Tollway. Hall Financial Group, owner of the award-winning 162-acre development in Frisco has finished construction on T1, its 16th building in Hall Office Park.
This 8-story, 204,000 square foot Class AA office building was designed to project a “sophisticated, international aesthetic.” Its striking design was intended to intermingle seamlessly, like another beautiful piece of art, amid HOP’s Texas Sculpture Park, a collection of 40 contemporary works displayed throughout the sprawling campus.
“The building has a minimalist design nature at heart, as it’s wholly about evoking the beauty from simple/natural materials and shapes,” states HKS architectural design team member Dustin Siegrist. Amongst the several million square feet of office space in HOP, T1 “truly pops in an exciting and unexpected way” much of which is due to the material selection, proclaims Siegrist. Rheinzink (1.0mm) pre-patina Blue Gray Zinc Interlocking Reveal Panels were chosen to clad the facade. Zinc was selected for this project for the beautiful patina that develops as it ages, Siegrist notes, “giv[ing] the building skin a deeper and richer connection with nature.” Over 16,000 square feet of Blue Gray Interlocking Reveal Panels, flanked by 10-foot sheets of glass, swathe the facade, banding the building’s massing.

Read More

MetalTech-USA Panels Revamp LATTC Learning Resource Center
6/4/2014

The Learning Resource Center at Los Angeles Trade Technical College has recently undergone a complete transformation. This multifaceted complex is set to house a diversity of programs and supporting organizations for students, faculty, and staff including a library, offices, and computer labs.
This latest renovation, developed out of necessity, was designed not only to improve functionality and efficiency but also to refresh its look as the centerpiece of campus. Stripped down to its bare bones, the structure was upgraded to current code compliance and new infrastructure systems were installed throughout. The renovation included enclosing ground level spaces beneath second-floor overhangs, converting second-floor perimeter open space and second-floor interior atrium space, thereby increasing the existing structure’s usable square footage from 81,807 square feet to 99,565 gsf.

Visiting the emergency room is likely a stressful and unpleasant experience for most people; however, residents of Allen, Texas can rest assured with the opening of the newly constructed Legacy ER and Urgent Care center. The progressive architectural design of this medical facility marries the elements of “sustainable and evidence-based design to offer a soothing environment for patients seeking care under distressed conditions,” according to 5G. This 8,432 square foot facility, the second designed by 5G Studio Collaborative of Dallas, Texas, features 3 emergency department rooms, two trauma rooms, five urgent care rooms, and an on-site laboratory and radiology suite complete with CT scan.

Venue (Mission Bay Block 3) is the newest mixed use development emerging in San Francisco’s up and coming Mission Bay neighborhood. This $43 million project contains 147 units and sports a dynamic retail frontage incorporating special lighting and outdoor cafes along Fourth Street. The seven-story building features high-level, sustainable interior and exterior finishes. MetalTech-USA was chosen to fabricate elements for this striking structure’s aesthetic yet functional façade.

Along the southwestern exposure of the building, the design firm Seidel Architects envisioned a perforated copper sun screen cantilevered above the terrace. Alexander Seidel intended this 2,100 square foot screen to serve as a unique identifying “marquee” of the building as well as to function as a mechanism to both regulate the strong sun for the residential units facing that direction and provide a buffer against the prevailing breezes for the private balconies situated between the screen and the building.

The screen was to be fully supported by steel tube armature. This created a design challenge for MetalTech-USA VP Eric Simonsen. “The challenge was finding a balance between panel sizes small enough to maintain structural integrity, thus limiting the amount of steel framing required while at the same time meeting the intended purpose.”

Picture
Photography by Laura Kudritzki
Copper was originally chosen for the design for its richness and natural patination to complement the design’s overall palette. MetalTech-USA made the recommendation to switch to our Eco Choice™ material Copper Plus for added strength and reduction in weight. A 9”tall by 8’ long typical panel size was settled upon and the installing contractor then created an appropriate mounting solution. This panel sizing choice in conjunction with the material adjustment resulted in the warmth, transparency, and strength desired.

MetalTech-USA’s zinc flatlock panels were also incorporated into the design as an accent material on the vertical elevator core. Rheinzink prePatina Blue Gray Zinc was chosen for the
“natural character of its finish,” cites Seidel, “and the staggered pattern of the shingle placement contrasted well with the smoother materials on the façade.”

This project is pursuing LEED® Silver.

Specialty metal fabrication and engineering: MetalTech-USA

Architect: Seidel Architects and Steinberg Architects

Installer: Bay City Mechanical

MetalTech-USA is a premier distributor and specialty fabricator of EcoChoice™ architectural metals that specializes in roofing, rainwater, soffit and cladding systems. For more information, visit www.metaltech-usa.com, or call 770-486-8825.

“Changing Ideas into Sustainable Reality.” This quote is MetalTech-USA’s unique representation of their mission and contribution to economic responsibility. Along with their partners, they are promoting the use of sustainable metal products in the building. This philosophy is their drive to be involved with the Solar Decathlon: a biennial international competition for which colleges and universities design and construct solar-powered homes. MetalTech-USA has partnered with Middlebury College for the 2013 Solar Decathlon in Irvine Park, California. This partnership will allow MetalTech-USA to provide their sustainable metal products to Middlebury College, helping them to create an affordable, energy-efficient, and aesthetically appealing home.

“The teams selected for the Solar Decathlon are not just getting an opportunity to try and win an international competition. They are receiving the chance to network with organizations that supply sustainable materials like ourselves, as well as help pave the way towards a more eco-friendly way of life,” VP Architect Liaison Eric Simonsen states.

Middlebury College, established in 1800, is a top-ranking liberal arts college located in Vermont. In addition to being a leader on carbon neutrality, Middlebury College also incorporates sustainability throughout their institutional and campus planning. They are committed to researching, engineering, designing, and building towns that can contribute to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Their commitment to sustainability has not gone unnoticed either. In 2011, Middlebury College became the first undergraduate liberal arts college ever to be selected to participate in the Solar Decathlon. Their 4th place finish in the 2011 competition helped them receive another chance to exceed expectations as they have been selected to participate in the 2013 Solar Decathlon.

Their project for the upcoming competition has been titled ‘In-Fill Home’. This concept represents a home that will adapt and evolve to inspire healthy, resourceful living on underutilized, neglected city properties. As the name suggests, the home will ‘fill-in’ leftover urban spaces. Senior Eric Fender states, “In-Fill Home does not try to reinvent the wheel. Rather, it offers an alternative approach to the widely discussed issue of suburban sprawl and strives to acknowledge the complexity of social, environmental and economic sustainability.”

MetalTech-USA is honored to help Middlebury be successful. Metaltech-USA’s contribution to In-Fill Home is Interlocking Reveal Panels and Flat sheets, both incorporating prePATINA Graphite Gray Zinc. The zinc panels will be located in the center of the house, effectively and beautifully connecting one side to the other (see picture below). MetalTech-USA knows that together, we can adapt, evolve and aim to create more sustainable lifestyles.

“We see a house as just one piece of larger human and natural ecosystems. We strive to design a house that embodies the principles of a centralized community that reduces demands on transportation while facilitating greater personal interactions. By realizing the potential of underutilized spaces, we aim to integrate a house into an existing walkable community-to suggest a model of living that is applicable on any scale. With history and nature as our guides, we hope to design a home that reflects a community and a lifestyle for a sustainable society, economy, and environment. “-2013 Middlebury College Team

Share this entry

http://metaltech-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/metaltech-web-logo4-padding.png00adminhttp://metaltech-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/metaltech-web-logo4-padding.pngadmin2018-03-31 02:30:062018-04-21 16:46:45Sustainability: The Common Denominator between MetalTech-USA and Middlebury College

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon (SD) is an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. Six competitions have been held in the U.S and Europe since the first Solar Decathlon in 2002. This year will be China’s inaugural event as well as the first competition in Asia.

For the past 2 years, collegiate teams from 13 different countries around the globe have been designing, innovating, and building solar-powered houses to compete in Solar Decathlon China 2013 (SD China). Teams will reassemble the houses for an exciting 12-day competition and exhibition. Using only solar power, teams will compete in ten contests and then be judged in architecture, engineering, communications, market appeal, and solar application.

MetalTech-USA is partnering up with Peking University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Peking University (PKU) is a renowned university in China that offers a complete and extensive range of academic disciplines including basic and applied sciences and engineering and business studies. UIUC is a top university of technology with a reputation of excellence in the field of engineering and architecture. SD China offers a big opportunity for collegiate teams to raise awareness for solar technology and energy saving solutions.

MetalTech-USA is honored to partner with such revolutionary members of this competition. President and CEO of MetalTech-USA, Nils Simonsen, states, “We’re supporting the new wave of design.” Not only is MetalTech-USA supporting the decathletes and their vision, but also enlightening the future of architecture with their ability to provide sustainable and environment-friendly products.

Completed in May 2013, the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College has a new hub for student life: Mariposa Hall. Services, gathering areas and a place where students can get the answers they need to insure their success is just a few of the amenities Mariposa Hall offers.

The design itself incorporates RHEINZINK prePATINA Blue Gray flatsheets and interlocking reveal panels. The design specifications required perforations measuring 5mm holes at 7mm on center staggered and 5mm holes at 8mm on center staggered. MetalTech-USA was able to meet the design objectives for the multiple locations via our versatile panel systems and high levels of customization.

PROJECT PROFILE DETAILS:

For more information on changing your next idea into a sustainable reality, contact MetalTech-USA via phone at 770-486-8825, email at info@metaltech-usa.com, or visit their website at www.metaltech-usa.com.

Long, sleek panels of exquisite blue-grey zinc line the exterior façades of several, newly-completed Turner Industries complexes – four to be exact – located Baton Rouge, LA, Corpus Christie, TX, and Pasadena, TX. And for any visitor, it’s the first thing noticed when approaching any of the sites.

In Pasadena, TX, the 24,000 square foot addition to the already 75,000 square feet site was much more than an aesthetic conversation and exterior design whim – as was the same for the sites in Baton Rouge and Corpus Christi. These four new facilities correspond with the 50-year celebration of Turner Industries supplying industrial complexes throughout the surrounding Gulf Coast region with construction materials. And in order to honor their 50-year history and position in the long-standing industrial community, they called upon MetalTech-USA to supply and fabricate the architectural applications and metals for the renovation and additions to each site.

Turner Industries enlisted the products and services of MetalTech-USA because they wanted to present a signified, resemblance throughout each complex. “All four personnel buildings required identical design themes using almost exactly the same materials and finishes,” said MetalTech-USA Vice President of Design, Eric Simonsen, “so the task of widespread uniformity made these projects incredibly unique and the finished projects incredibly rewarding.”

So, how did MetalTech-USA provide such uniformity between all four sites? By using hundreds of thousands square feet of Rheinzink horizontal reveal wall panels containing a blue-grey finish all distributed and fabricated at MetalTech-USA in Peachtree City, GA. These reveal panels provide a wealth of design possibilities, with its choice of panel widths 8-12 in. and its variable joints widths 0-1 in. With the combined flexibility of the laying directions (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), the reveal panel offers the architect an exceptional amount of freedom in implementing design ideas – and Trahan Architects, the architectural firm that designed all four Turner Industries sites, couldn’t agree more.

All completed facilities will be eligible for Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification because of EcoChoice™, MetalTech-USA’s environmentally friendly building materials option and commitment to raising the standards of environmental consciousness in the construction field.

“We were very pleased to work with Trahan Architects from start to finish of all four complexes for Turner Industries,” said VP Eric Simonsen, “and look forward to assisting architects around the world with their special needs, ideas, and visions for design.”

For more information on changing your next idea into a sustainable reality, contact MetalTech-USA via phone at 770-486-8825, email at info@metaltech-usa.com, or visit their website at www.metaltech-usa.com.